Should You Get 18v or 36v for Cordless Tools?

Eevee on 19/11/2023 - 00:23

When getting cordless tools, is there some guide on whether you should get 18V or 36V?

I'm thinking for some common tools:
- Lawnmower 36V
- Leaf blower 36V (if you wanted to blow leaves through grass, I think 18V can only do hard surfaces)
- Drill 18V
- Line trimmer 18V?
- Hedge trimmer 18V?

I know there's a ton of other tools out there and I know it kinda depends on your situation whether to get 18V or 36V.

But for some common tools that you can think of, is there some general consensus on whether to get 18V or 36V for them?

Home & Garden Power Tool

Comments

  • Switchblade88 on 19/11/2023 - 00:51
    +1

    Voltage shouldn't be a deciding factor; it's used in 'more powerful' tools because it's a simple way to get more power out of your batteries without drawing more current - which can cause potential damage.

    Decide on a budget, then you can start checking brand range/variety and what's the best value for your needs. I'm an Ozito man as the warranty & value-for-money is excellent; I have a 36v blower when everything else is 18v, but that made no difference to my purchasing decision.

    • mskeggs on 19/11/2023 - 12:31

      Ozito man would be one of the lamest super heroes. But I’m a country member.

  • boomramada on 19/11/2023 - 02:44

    Plenty of articles here to cover your topic https://www.google.com/search?q=18v+vs+36v

  • geekcohen on 19/11/2023 - 06:15

    As said above, the more voltage, the more power. I have the 36V Ozito Hedge Trimmer and the 18V. Both are great, but have their individual uses. The 18V is great for small hedges and doing the odd clean-up without having to get out the bigger and heavier 36V.

    I would love a 36V leafblower, but Ozito don't do one…… yet.

    As for a Lawnmower, definitely go 36V.

    I would suggest you go down the Ozito family, plenty of tools available and more are getting added all the time.

  • tanksinatra on 19/11/2023 - 07:24

    Each battery cell provides 3.6v. So a 36v tool is going to need at least 10 cells. So for smaller tools like a drill that's probably overkill.

    • Switchblade88 on 19/11/2023 - 13:14

      Most standard 18v battery packs - Ozito, Makita, Ryobi etc - are actually 10x 18650 cells, but paired in parallel!

      • tanksinatra on 19/11/2023 - 13:54

        The bigger packs may have parallel cells, but the smaller (2ah) Ozito's certainly don't.

        • Switchblade88 on 19/11/2023 - 14:07

          True - but I wouldn't have called those one 'standard' batteries since they aren't recommended for most tools esp. grinders, saws etc. All mine are 4Ah batteries, and I've never seen a commercial-grade (i.e. Makita, Milwaukee etc) be below 4Ah, thus my intent of 'standard'.

          On the really high-voltage end, my mower takes 2x 54v batteries in series - but being brushless, I question if that was slightly overkill…

  • leTintin on 19/11/2023 - 08:58

    For me only 36v where you really need the power eg. lawn mower and line trimmer - mostly garden tools, 18v everywhere else as batteries are lighter and cheaper.

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